Leslie Babich

Leslie Babich, Col, USAF (Ret) is a 26-year Air Force veteran, retired in August 2018, as the Chief, Program Analysis and Evaluation Division and Fixed-Wing Assessment Director for the Force Structure, Requirements, Resources, and Strategic Assessments Directorate at Headquarters, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Florida. In this position, she led a team of six executives plus thirty-five onsite/200 offsite program managers to develop the command’s 5-year, $60B programming and resource allocation plan to effectively organize, train, and equip all USSOCOM units and personnel.

Leslie served as an MC-130E/H Pilot in AFSOC and held various leadership positions to include squadron command, Director of the Commander’s Action Group at Headquarters, AFSOC, and Commander, Joint Special Operations Air Component – Central. During her service, she deployed multiple times in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Enduring Freedom-Philippines, Iraqi Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. She also served as an Air Officer Commanding at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).

Leslie currently serves as the Director of SOFWERX, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit innovation platform partnered with USSOCOM, to bring the best of Government, Industry, Academia, and National Labs together to help solve challenging problems encountered by Special Operations Forces. Prior to joining SOFWERX, she was employed as a Business Unit Manager with Jabil Defense and Aerospace in Saint Petersburg, FL. Leslie received her commission from USAFA in 1992. She has been married to her husband for 25 years and they have two children.